About Jamaica
Jamaica, the largest of the English-speaking Caribbean islands, is also one of the most varied and fascinating. Its turbulent history has seen the European invasion of Taino Indian lands and the struggle for dominance during the infamous pirate era, the tragic period of African slavery that created England’s lucrative sugar trade, the importation of indentured labour from India, China, Europe and Africa, and the winning of political independence. Jamaica is now a modern nation struggling to redefine its economy with Tourism as one of its primary sectors. Just as the population is a mix of the many peoples who arrived on the island over its long history (the Jamaican national motto is Out of Many, One People), the island’s geography offers dramatic variety. From cloud-draped mountain peaks, through rolling agricultural land, to stretches of cacti-dotted sand dunes and lush tropical rainforests, the landscapes of the island continuously surprise and delight. The heavily populated and bustling capital city of Kingston on the south coast is far removed from the sparkling white sand beaches of the island’s north coast. Tourist accommodation stretches along this famous coastline from the seven-mile long beach at Negril in the west to lush tropical growth fringing exquisite coves in the east.
About Port Antonio
Settled successively by Taino Indians, Spanish, and British, the town was largely developed in the late nineteenth century as a result of the development of the banana trade. With banana boats plying between Jamaica and the United States, visitors began arriving in Port Antonio, launching the beginnings of Jamaica’s tourist trade. Initially, large Victorian hotels were constructed high on the Titchfield Peninsula that separates Port Antonio’s lovely twin harbours. Eventually the rich and famous discovered the delights of the area, with Hollywood swashbuckler Errol Flynn establishing himself on nearby Navy Island and other celebrities building villas along the coastline. Today Port Antonio serves as the market town for the surrounding area as well as boasting a fine new marina servicing the international yachting crowd.